These biscotti are one of my very favorite cookies! They’re crisp (but not too crunchy), slightly soft in the center and just sweet enough. I’ve made so many batches of these biscotti, including four delicious flavor variations!
The only Biscotti recipe you need
With Christmas coming soon, I want to share one of my favorite cookie recipes with you: biscotti! I love these biscotti because they are crisp on the edges and just the tiniest bit soft in the center, plus you can customize them with so many flavors and mix-ins.
I spent a whole week in the kitchen baking batch after batch of these Italian cookies. The result? The best biscotti recipe I’ve ever made, plus 4 delicious flavor variations! Below you’ll find my recipes for almond, cranberry-orange, chocolate and classic biscotti.
Coffee lover that I am, biscotti are my perfect cookie. They’re ideal for dunking in a mug of coffee, tea or cocoa or served with a glass of milk.
I just wanted to say I’ve tried many different biscotti recipes by now, and this one is by far the best. The almond version is my favorite, but they’re so easily customizable, and my biscotti come out perfectly every time I use this base recipe. Thanks!!
E
What are biscotti?
Biscotti are traditional Italian cookies. Classic biscotti flavors include vanilla, anise and almond. Biscotti are baked twice, which gives them their dry, crisp texture. The dough is first shaped into a log and baked. After the baked dough log cools, you slice it on the diagonal and bake the cookies a second time until they are crisp.
This recipe is my go-to when I want to bake homemade cookies for gifts for teachers, friends and neighbors. They stay fresh longer than most other types of cookies (1-2 weeks at room temperature) and they don’t break easily.
Ingredient Notes
- Butter: I use 4 tablespoons of butter in this recipe. Adding more butter will result in softer biscotti and omitting the butter will give you drier, crispier cookies. I found that 4 tablespoons is the perfect amount. For dairy-free biscotti, you can substitute olive oil for the butter. I’ve done this with great success.
- Sugar: This recipe uses granulated sugar. Beat the sugar and butter together until creamy.
- Eggs: You will need two large eggs for this recipe. The eggs are combined with the butter and sugar. The mixture might look a bit curdled; this is ok. When you mix in the flour everything will get incorporated.
- Extracts and flavors: My basic biscotti recipe uses vanilla extract. You can also add almond extract or anise extract. You can add some orange zest or lemon zest to the wet ingredients if you want citrus flavor in your cookies.
- Flour, baking powder and salt: I use a combination of white whole wheat flour and all purpose flour in my biscotti recipe. I like the depth of flavor that whole wheat flour adds to these cookies, and I like to sneak in extra nutrition whenever I can. You may replace the white whole wheat flour with all-purpose flour. For gluten-free, readers have had success substituting Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 baking flour.
- Baking powder and salt: Be sure to use fresh baking powder so that your biscotti will rise well. Salt brings out all of the flavors.
- Nuts, chocolate chips, dried fruit and other mix-ins: This is the fun part! You can get creative with your mix-ins to create your own biscotti flavor. I recommend sticking to 1 1/2 cups or less total mix-ins. Try almonds, walnuts, pecans, pistachios, chocolate chips, dried cherries or dried cranberries.
How to Make Biscotti
Biscotti are easy to make. There are just a few simple steps, and I’ve included a few pictures of how I shape the dough and slice the cookies.
First, make the dough. Beat together the butter and sugar, then mix in the eggs and vanilla. If you are using other extracts, such as almond extract, mix them in now. This is also when you will want to add citrus zest such as orange or lemon zest. Whisk together the dry ingredients in a separate bowl and then mix them into the wet ingredients. Finally, stir in any mix-ins that you want to use, such as nuts, dried fruit, or chocolate chips.
Divide the dough in half and shape each half into a log shape. If the dough sticks to your hands, using slightly wet hands can help. I start by making a ball out of each half of the dough. Then I pat the dough between my hands to shape it into a log. Place the dough logs on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Press down with your hands to flatten the logs until they are about 3/4-inch thick.
If you want, you can sprinkle the dough with turbinado sugar (coarse sugar) before baking. This will give your biscotti cookies a pretty sparkle on top.
Bake the dough logs for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees F, until they are lightly golden. The center will be slightly soft and should bounce back when you press it lightly. Let the baked biscotti logs cool before slicing. If you slice them when they are too warm, the cookies will crumble.
Slice the logs on the diagonal, pressing a sharp knife straight down into the dough. Place the cookies back on the baking sheet, cut sides up. Slicing at a greater angle will result in longer cookies, and less of an angle will produce smaller biscotti.
Bake the biscotti a second time, for 12-16 minutes, until crisp. Bake the sliced cookies longer if you want them more crunchy, and for a shorter time if you want them softer. The centers will be a tiny bit soft when you remove them from the oven, but they will crisp up as they cool.
How to make mini biscotti: To make small biscotti, shape the dough into three or four logs instead of two. The smaller dough logs will require less baking time, so begin checking on them after 15 minutes.
Recipe Variations
To make chocolate biscotti, add unsweetened cocoa powder and chocolate chips to the dough. You will use 1/4 cup less flour to account for the addition of cocoa powder. I like to dip my chocolate biscotti in white or dark chocolate, and sometimes I mix in almonds or walnuts.
Almond biscotti are one of my favorites! To make almond biscotti, add 1 teaspoon of almond extract and reduce the vanilla extract to 1/2 teaspoon. Then mix chopped or slivered almonds into the dough.
To make cranberry orange biscotti, mix orange zest into the creamed butter and sugar. Then stir dried cranberries into the dough. Sometimes I like to add almonds or pistachios to my cranberry biscotti.
I also have a Chocolate Chip Biscotti recipe that I think you’ll love! Looking for more easy cookie recipes? Try my Snowball Cookies, Cherry Cream Cheese Cookies or our best Chocolate Chip Cookies next!
Biscotti Recipe (4 Flavors)
Ingredients
Classic Biscotti
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold or softened, cut into 4 pieces
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract, use 1 teaspoon if adding almond or anise extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract or anise extract, optional
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup white whole wheat flour, or all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- turbinado sugar, (coarse sugar), optional
Chocolate Biscotti
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold or softened, cut into 4 pieces
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup white whole wheat flour, or all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- ½ cup chopped almonds or walnuts, optional
Almond Biscotti
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold or softened, cut into 4 pieces
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup white whole wheat flour, or all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup chopped almonds
- turbinado sugar, (coarse sugar), optional
Cranberry Orange Biscotti
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold or softened, cut into 4 pieces
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- zest of 1 orange, about 1 tablespoon
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup white whole wheat flour, or all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- turbinado sugar, (coarse sugar), optional
Instructions
Classic Biscotti
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until creamy.
- Add the eggs and vanilla extract. If you would like to add almond extract or anise extract, add it now. Mix until well combined.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour, white whole wheat flour, baking powder and salt.
- Add the flour mixture to the mixing bowl and mix on low speed until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Divide the dough in half. Shape each half into a ball and then use your hands to shape each ball into a log that is about 8 inches long.
- Place the logs on the prepared baking sheet. Use your hands to flatten the dough logs until they are about 3/4-inch thick. Gently press the sides and ends of the logs to even them out and flatten them.
- If desired, sprinkle the logs with turbinado sugar.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, until lightly golden and the center of the logs is almost firm and bounces back when touched.
- Let the logs cool on the baking sheet for 30 minutes.
- Use a sharp knife to cut the logs into biscotti shape, on the diagonal. Press straight down with the knife, rather than sawing.
- Place the biscotti, cut side up, on the baking sheet. Bake for 12-16 more minutes, until dry. The centers of the cookies will be slightly soft and will crisp as they cool.
- Store biscotti in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 weeks or in the freezer for 3 months.
Chocolate Biscotti
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until creamy.
- Add the eggs and vanilla extract. Mix until well combined.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder, all purpose flour, white whole wheat flour, baking powder and salt.
- Add the flour mixture to the mixing bowl and mix on low speed until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Mix in the chocolate chips and nuts, if using.
- Divide the dough in half. Shape each half into a ball and then use your hands to shape each ball into a log that is about 8 inches long.
- Place the logs on the prepared baking sheet. Use your hands to flatten the dough logs until they are about 3/4-inch thick. Gently press the sides and ends of the logs to even them out and flatten them.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, until lightly golden and the center of the logs is almost firm and bounces back when touched.
- Let the logs cool on the baking sheet for 30 minutes.
- Use a sharp knife to cut the logs into biscotti shape, on the diagonal. Press straight down with the knife, rather than sawing.
- Place the biscotti, cut side up, on the baking sheet. Bake for 12-16 more minutes, until dry. The centers of the cookies will be slightly soft and will crisp as they cool.
- Store biscotti in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 weeks or in the freezer for 3 months.
Almond Biscotti
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until creamy.
- Add the eggs, almond extract and vanilla extract. Mix until well combined.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour, white whole wheat flour, baking powder and salt.
- Add the flour mixture to the mixing bowl and mix on low speed until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Stir in the chopped almonds.
- Divide the dough in half. Shape each half into a ball and then use your hands to shape each ball into a log that is about 8 inches long.
- Place the logs on the prepared baking sheet. Use your hands to flatten the dough logs until they are about 3/4-inch thick. Gently press the sides and ends of the logs to even them out and flatten them.
- If desired, sprinkle the logs with turbinado sugar.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, until lightly golden and the center of the logs is almost firm and bounces back when touched.
- Let the logs cool on the baking sheet for 30 minutes.
- Use a sharp knife to cut the logs into biscotti shape, on the diagonal. Press straight down with the knife, rather than sawing.
- Place the biscotti, cut side up, on the baking sheet. Bake for 12-16 more minutes, until dry. The centers of the cookies will be slightly soft and will crisp as they cool.
- Store biscotti in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 weeks or in the freezer for 3 months.
Cranberry Orange Biscotti
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until creamy.
- Add the eggs, vanilla extract and orange zest. Mix until well combined.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour, white whole wheat flour, baking powder and salt.
- Add the flour mixture to the mixing bowl and mix on low speed until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Mix in the dried cranberries.
- Divide the dough in half. Shape each half into a ball and then use your hands to shape each ball into a log that is about 8 inches long.
- Place the logs on the prepared baking sheet. Use your hands to flatten the dough logs until they are about 3/4-inch thick. Gently press the sides and ends of the logs to even them out and flatten them.
- If desired, sprinkle the logs with turbinado sugar.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, until lightly golden and the center of the logs is almost firm and bounces back when touched.
- Let the logs cool on the baking sheet for 30 minutes.
- Use a sharp knife to cut the logs into biscotti shape, on the diagonal. Press straight down with the knife, rather than sawing.
- Place the biscotti, cut side up, on the baking sheet. Bake for 12-16 more minutes, until dry. The centers of the cookies will be slightly soft and will crisp as they cool.
- Store biscotti in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 weeks or in the freezer for 3 months.
Notes
- Butter: I have always made this recipe using cold butter and have had no problem combining it with the sugar using a stand mixer. Since some readers have expressed difficulty creaming the cold butter (this may be more of an issue if using a hand mixer), I’ve modified the recipe to indicate that cold or softened butter may be used.
- Dairy-Free Biscotti: Substitute olive oil for the butter.
- Flour: I often make this recipe with half all-purpose flour and half white whole wheat flour. The recipe also works well using only all-purpose flour.
- Turbinado Sugar: You may sprinkle turbinado sugar (coarse sugar) on the logs before baking for a pretty sparkle. I did this with my classic biscotti pictured above.
- Chocolate Dipped: You can dip the cooled biscotti in melted chocolate. Refrigerate chocolate dipped biscotti for a few minutes to help the chocolate harden.
- How long will biscotti last? Store biscotti in an airtight container at room temperature. They will stay fresh for 1-2 weeks this way. You can also wrap biscotti airtight and store them in the freezer for 3 months.
I originally shared this recipe in November 2018. Post updated in November 2024.
Hi Kristine
Your recipe is so easy and fail proof my family loves them, I bake them about once a week they’re so good so thank you for this recipe. I just have a question, do you think these could be made in lemon flavor and if so what would you recommend. Again, thank you so much for this great biscotti recipe!
Hi Angela,
I’m so glad that you are enjoying this recipe! Lemon biscotti sound delicious! I haven’t tested that flavor variation, but I’d try adding 2 tablespoons lemon juice and the zest of 1 large or 2 small lemons to the dough (mix in when you add the vanilla). If you want to add a lemon glaze to drizzle over the tops after baking, you can whisk together some powdered sugar, a bit of lemon juice and lemon zest. If you try a lemon variation, let me know how they turn out!
Great recipe. I made a coconut version by adding 1/2 cup (50 grams) sweetened shredded coconut and 1 teaspoon coconut extract to the basic recipe.
Great! Recipe was easy to follow. I made my version with mixed fruits. Tasty, not too sweet. Great with coffee.
Have you tried almond Flour, what do you think about that?
I have not tried this recipe with almond flour.
My husband loves the cranberry and orange. I add a tablespoon of the orange juice and almond slices. He would eat it every day. I think this recipe is amazing!
I liked this recipe and the results. I made the chocolate version. . My only comment would be to add the nuts and chocolate chips to the mixture before the dry ingredients. My dough was so stiff that they didn’t incorporate evenly into the dough.
Can these be frozen? Thank you
Found the answer to my question…you can freeze them!
Hi. I’m so not a cook. I never acquired the baking gene, but I wanted to make my friends a homemade gift this year for Christmas. So, I tried your recipe. Oh wow. Amazing. For a non-baker it was impressively easy. The dough for the chocolate ones was really crumbly (I bet I added too much flour in error) so I threw in an extra egg, and all was deliciously good. The basic ones were perfect. Next I’m going to try adapting the recipe for a maple and walnut biscotti. Thank you so much. Have a lovely Christmas. From a grandmother in WA state.
Question can you use all all purpose flour I do not use wheat thank you vicky
Yes, you can.
I made all 4 over the last two days. Very easy base recipe to follow and very good results for all 4. Even my wife likes them and she doesn’t like anything I cook. :>
I have made these multiple times. My favorite combo is to add almonds to the cranberry-orange ones and make a mix of two flavors. My boyfriend begs them, my grandma loves them and always asks for some. They are easy to make a delicious.
I saw someone had a problem with stickiness. I had this one time when making. I made at work, while I had to do some other things, so the dough was sitting and waiting for some time. My guess is that if you overwork it or it is too warm, then butter melts too much and the dough gets sticky. I fixed the issue by putting it in the fridge for a moment and it made a huge difference. After this I was able to shape it easily. But this has happened only once, other times it has been perfect.
I made almond and cranberry Orange biscotti. I followed the recipe and instructions carefully and I’m thrilled to report they came out perfectly!
I’ve been making biscotti for years but wanted to change up my usual recipe. I made the chocolate biscotti recipe. I had to use Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 flour, and it turned out perfectly. I don’t think I will ever use a different recipe. I wanted to write a note to say thank you for the easy to follow directions.
Hi I need tips on creaming cold butter
It never gets creamed textures with the sugar
It’s pasty !
I was always taught room temp ingredients!
Help
We love your recipes too ! Thanks
Hi Deb, you just have to mix the butter and sugar together until they are very well combined. The mixture won’t be really creamy, and that’s ok. If you prefer to soften the butter a bit at room temperature, I’m sure that will work fine, too. Just make sure it’s cool, not warm.
I’ve been making biscotti for about 10 years. After trying this recipe I’ll discard my old one. These are perfect! The cranberry orange were perfect for dipping and the balance of flavors was delicious. I baked them at 350, and turned the oven down to 275 for the second bake for 25 minutes, because I like them dry for dipping. The color and dryness was just right. Other than that, I followed your recipe exactly and couldn’t have been happier. Thank you!
This is the perfect biscotti recipe. I made the cranberry version today, and it came out super well. I did swap 1/2c flour for 1/2c almond flour. Added pistachios. In the end, I had to add maybe another 1/3c APF to manage the stickiness due to the almond flour. So so sooo good, thank you for an amazing recipe.
I use the base recipe quite often to make two different kinds – a lemon poppyseed (often with a lemon drizzle), and a pistachio chocolate chip – both delicious!!
Hi I use your recipe here soooo many times but…. I’m always always uncertain as to creaming COLD butter
I never know when it’s enough… any tips I was told as much as 15 min to combine till creamy by a fellow baker
HELP please and thank you so much
I usually just mix for a few minutes. If you want to let the butter warm up for a few minutes at room temperature, that is ok too. I’m glad you are enjoying this recipe!
I had never made biscotti and thought this recipe was pretty easy to follow and fool proof. These are AMAZING- I’ve made them countless times since Christmas. I’ve even made a maple walnut variation where I subbed the sugar for maple sugar, walnuts in the cookie and a maple glaze on top. They come out perfect every time and everyone loves them!
Just made the Almond Biscotti. Really easy to do. I couldn’t resist and I had a piece after the final bake while it was warm. Soooo good! I did use sliced almonds and only put 3/4 c. In the batter. It was plenty of almonds.
I made the chocolate biscotti. Eating one now and it is absolutely delicious. So easy to make. Highly recommend. Will definitely make again and again.
I tried your recipe and it came out beautifully . It is light and just the right crisp. I will make this again . Thank you
I made the almond biscotti today, and they’re very good. I roasted the almonds, then chopped them, but only used 3/4 cup, as it looked like a full cup would be too much. I do have a couple questions, though. The biscotti are a bit sweet and I’m wondering if it would be ok to cut the sugar to 1/2 cup without affecting the outcome? Also, the biscotti are still a little soft in the middle so I’m guessing I need to bake them longer on the second bake? Thanks so much!
You should be able to reduce the sugar with good results. Yes, for crispier biscotti bake them longer on the second bake. I’m glad you are enjoying the recipe!
Hi there,I love your biscotti recipes! Have made lots of them.
Just dont understand why you would say to use hard butter?
It is hard enough to incorporate soft butter with sugar! Don’t need hard pieces of butter flying everywhere 😊
Thanks for your recipe!
Using cold butter is just how I’ve always done it. The butter is never so hard when I make this recipe that pieces fly everywhere. 🙂 I’m sure you could use slightly softened butter with similar results. I’m glad you are enjoying this recipe!
Made an almond version and the chocolate biscotti.
Both were delicious and better than any store bought! Thank you!
Thank you Kristine! We had lost our old biscotti recipe. Yours is perfect. The recipe is laid out easy to follow for whichever type you want to make. I made one recipe and mixed some craisins I had on hand into one log. The biscotti came out perfect! Next time I’ll make double! Thanks again!
Absolutely love this cranberry orange biscotti! One do tend to crack a lot! Any reason why they do this?
I believe you got the flour to sugar ratio correct. I tried another biscotti recipe from another Italian cookbook author, who used 2 cups of flour and 1 cup of sugar, and for me, it ended up a touch sweet for my palate.
Very nice taste. Unclear on recipe if you toast each side after baking or is it designed for a single 2nd bake. I did bake each side about 10 minutes.
I only bake the cut biscotti on one side; I do not flip them. I’m glad you enjoyed these!
I just baked the cranberry orange biscotti it is outstanding. I added a tablespoon of orange juice with zest and 4 tablespoon additional flour sine I added OJ also didn’t have enough dry cranberries so used dried apricots. We love them the texture is great.
I really like the simplicity of this recipe! I didn’t have cranberries, but I did have cherries and the orange/cherry combo is fantastic.
I also made a wonderful pumpkin spice with PS emolument and pepitas in white chocolate.
These recipes are the best. Seriously my mom and I have probably made close to 50 batches each for the last couple years using this page. I’ll change out the extra ingredients but the base recipes are great! I think my latest favorite is adding chocolate chips and shredded coconut to the almond biscotti. It’s like an Almond Joy treat with my coffee. Anyways thank you for this great go to recipe!
I followed this recipe to a T. The taste us amazing. However they are a bit flat. Because it was such a hot day i placed the ligs in the freezer for 5 minutes before baking.
I usually don’t leave reviews on recipes but these were the best biscotti I’ve ever had!!
Hi Kristine. I bake (and cook) a lot and just came across your basic biscotti recipe. I love trying new recipes, even though I have many of my own. I want to make these next month. Question: Can I make the different variations ahead, freeze then thaw the dough in the fridge, shape and bake them later? I’m sure you can. As I’ve done this with many cookie doughs. Thanks.
Hi Vaness,
I have not tried freezing this dough. If you decide to try it, I’d love to hear how it worked!
Hi Kristine, I made the basic recipe last year with lots of variations. I did freeze the different doughs and those turned out just as good as fresh dough. I just pull out a package the night before and pop it in the fridge, by the next morning it is ready to shape and bake. I just baked off the last of my frozen dough from about 11 months ago and they still turned out great!
I bring them down to my bocci team and everyone loves them. One gentleman even wanted me to sell them in his store! I’ve made lemon, lemon poppyseed, plain, almond, chocolate, coffee, chocolate-chocolate chip, coffee/chocolate. Whew, the list is endless.! They all turn out great. Thanks for the recipe. I just finished making 8 batches and will make 8 more tomorrow for gifts this year. Now I just need to decide what flavors I want to make tomorrow! 😃
Thank you for sharing that freezing the dough works well. I’m sure others will appreciate that tip! Your flavors all sound delicious. I’m so glad you’re enjoying this recipe!
I love the cranberry orange biscotti! I make it all the time. I would like to bring out more orange along with the cranberries. How can I add more orange, but not over power the cranberries!
I’m glad you’re enjoying the recipe! The best way would be to increase the amount of orange zest.
A couple suggestions: I have started making my biscotti with light olive oil instead of butter (it’s always soft, lol). And as far as dealing with sticky hands, I spray some nonstick cooking spray on my hands before handling.
I’ve been making these for awhile and they’re one of my favorite cookies to make! The only trouble I have is my husband who finds the cookie sheet during the resting period and goes to town, lol! Thank you for de-mystifying biscotti making!
I make these all the time! Great recipes! Glad to see you have changed Hard Butter to Softened Butter ! Lol much better!
Too much butter flying about the kitchen! 😩 I use lots of your recipes, thanks!
Hi! Could I use saltec butter and o.it the salt in the recipe? That’s all I have in hand. Thanks!
On average salted butter has about 1/4 teaspoon of salt per 8 tablespoon stick of butter. So for this recipe, that would be about 1/8 teaspoon of salt per the 4 tablespoons of butter used. Since this is less than the 1/2 teaspoon called for in the recipe, if you use salted butter without adding any additional salt the biscotti may be somewhat lacking in flavor.
Made the biscotti with vanilla, almond and lemon peel. Great! Then second one with same extracts and lemon peel and sweetened cranberries from my dehydrator and added pecans!!! So easy and so good. I used a biscotti pan. Thank you!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I couldn’t find my recipe from years ago, so I went online and found your website. Thanks for making it so much easier for me I’ll be making multiple batches for Christmas gifts.
GREAT RESULTS modifying to Vegan and Gluten Free! I used Flax eggs, vegan margarine, and a gluten free flour mix. I let the mixture sit for 15 minutes before forming into a log, and used a spatula to smooth. Baked 1st bake for 30 minutes. Cut beautifully. THANK YOU for such a great base recipe!
I just wanted to say I’ve tried many different biscotti recipes by now, and this one is by far the best. The almond version is my favorite, but they’re so easily customizable, and my biscotti come out perfectly every time I use this base recipe. Thanks!!
First time making the almond biscotti. Actually any biscotti. I followed recipe except I used all purpose flour because that’s all I had available. They turned out very good, very tasty not too sweet but sweet enough. I’m so thankful to be able to make these and not have to buy store bought ones anymore because they have way to much sugar ( refined white sugar) in them. This was easy to make and I’m not a very experienced baker. Thank you for the recipes and baking tips !
Chilled the dough before cooking and it held its shape.
Delicious.
These recipes are the best. I’ve made the cranberry orange many times. Everyone who tries them loves them. 😊this morning l’m making almond with the white chips and also plain adding some chocolate chips. I’ve seen the comments about stickiness. In my opinion the less you work it with your hands the better. A little flour on the parchment paper and a little on top of the dough. Anyway,AWESOME recipe. I will only use this one. I’m hooked
Hi Christine, I am just wondering about the amount of flour in the Chocolate biscotti, in all the other recipes it totals two cups, but in the chocolate one it amounts to two and a quarter cups with the addition of the cocoa powder?! I made them yesterday and it was very hard to get the dough to come together way too dry?! I kept checking the ingredients to make sure I had it right. Should it have been just a half cup of whole wheat flour instead of three quarters?!
Thanks.
The chocolate biscotti recipe uses 1 3/4 cups total flour (1 cup all purpose plus 3/4 cups whole wheat), plus 1/2 cup cocoa powder. Those are the correct amounts and I’ve successfully made the recipe many times using those measurements, but if you found the dough too dry you can try reducing the flour by 1/4 cup next time. 🙂
These are absolutely my go to recipe for biscotti. I used to make my mom and dad‘s biscotti recipe, and I adapted your technique with their flavors of cinnamon, anise anise , seeds, and a little bit of cloves. By far, the orange cranberry biscotti are the favorites. I follow your recipe but amp up the orange flavor by adding a tablespoon of frozen orange concentrate. It is really awesome. Thank you very much.
Love this recipe. I have made many batches using this recipe and have beaten the sugar and butter together each time and it never has come out creamy. It is just stuck to the side of the mixer bowl. I then scrape the bowl and mix again. still not creamy. I still continue with the recipe as it gets creamy when I add the eggs and vanilla. Biscotti still tastes great.
I have made this recipe many times, love it. I’ve only done the plain/almond, and the chocolate. And I have to confess I only use all purpose flour, not whole wheat. I like to make a batch and then freeze them and I can take a couple out for company or if I want a crunchy treat with afternoon tea. Great recipe, thank you!
I’ve made these twice. First the plain biscotti, which turned out lovely. Then the chocolate biscotti, which were impossibly sticky. Perhaps I didn’t pack in the cocoa powder or flour enough, I’m not sure. These were so sticky they came out of the oven with spikes from where the dough pulled up from trying to shape it. I’ll give the chocolate ones a second try another time, but I’m a little disappointed in how they turned out.
I’ve used this recipe many times it’s great ! Experiment with whatever you have – lemon zest , dried cranberry ,cherry whatever. Wife likes them a little soft ( she is wrong! But…) Definitely let them cool before slicing. Store for 1-2 weeks? They will never last that long in my house 😁
Hi. I have a question. I get big cracks on biscotti log. Is there a way to prevent this?
Other than the crack, everything went well and cookies tasted amazing!
Some cracks are normal on the biscotti logs; I’m not sure why yours would have large cracks. One thing I do is when I shape the dough, I pat the each log between my hands so that the dough is tightly packed together, and I wonder if that could make a difference. I also use a sharp chef’s knife to cut the biscotti logs into cookies straight down, without sawing. This prevents them from cracking/crumbling when slicing. I’m glad that you enjoyed the biscotti!
We make it all the time. Taste is delicious and everyone loves it. Thank you for sharing your recipe
I know that these are supposed to be a bit softer inside, and this is a delicious recipe. However I was wondering what your tips would be for a crisper inside as I prefer it that way–a longer first or second bake? Should I try flipping them on the second bake and leaving them in? I have only tried your biscotti recipe but most others call to flip them. Please let me know, thank you!
If you want them crisper then I’d recommend flipping them and baking a little longer during the second bake. I also notice that these tend to dry out over time, so they get crisper after a few days of being stored at room temp.
I have made all of these biscotti many times and my family are now ordering them for our Christmas get together! Have dressed them all up differently and added different things to them.
Thanks, use this recipe for all biscotti!
Thanks Christine
I made a gingerbread variation. 3/8th cup white sugar. 3/8th cup packed brown sugar. 1 Tbsp molasses instead of vanilla. Added 1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice (my own blend) and grated in some orange zest. Sprinkled with decorative sugar before baking.
I LOVE these recipes! The almond dipped in chocolate is my fave. This year I’m Also making the cranberry orange. Can’t wait to dip into my coffee! Ok I do gift a little bit, but always keep a lot for me.
Thank you!
I added a little over a cup of butterscotch chips to the classic recipe, used room temp butter and eggs. Made 4 small loaves, so the cookies were middle finger sized. Great taste and texture!
Love this recipe! I lost it this year and so happy to find it again online- the variations are all spot on too. A favorite of my friends and family!!
What a wonderfully delicious and easy to make biscotti recipe! I’m sad I didn’t try it sooner! This will be a Christmas gift for sure next year!
I have made these multiple times- I love them and so do all I share them with- thank you for such clear directions- you are a gem!
Was concerned about shelf life but after making these at least a half dozen times it’s pretty much irrelevant. They ALWAYS vanish before thats a thought.
Absolutely love this recipie!! It never fails and they always turn out delicious. I tried the cranberry orange recipie and switched the orange zest for lemon zest and used dried blueberries instead of cranberries and it was amazing!! Thank you for the wonderful recipie and easy instructions!!
My daughter made the orange cranberry and we couldn’t stop eating them
Excellent recipe! Great texture and flavor. I made the almond version and used roasted pumpkin seeds instead of almonds because I had them on hand. Delicious! Best biscotti I’ve ever made.
I made the Chocolate Biscotti and it was a success! Despite me completely forgetting to add the cocoa powder. I also substituted vegan butter for regular butter; I accidently used salted option and it was still tasty. Because I’m lactose intolerant, I also opted for vegan chocolate chips. I added 1/4 cup of pistachios! My family loved them! THANK YOU for this amazing recipe! Worth the time.
A friend shared this recipe with me. I made it once, and now will be making it weekly!!!!! So easy and so good! Started with the orange cranberry. Wow, it’s amazing!
Wonderful, easy recipe! I put some amaretto in mine for a little extra punch along with the slivered almonds.